London gets the change it voted for

Although the original, central London congestion zone is widely considered a success, its extension to the west remains more controversial. Critics accused then-mayor Ken Livingstone of ignoring the opposition of almost three-quarters of local residents. According to TfL's own research, small shops and restaurants have been badly affected. Nor, unlike in the original zone, was there more than the briefest relief from congestion.

Yet there is no doubt that TfL badly wanted the Mayor to keep the western extension. When Boris held a public consultation, TfL's information to those taking part glossed over its researchers' awkward findings. TfL claimed that London's coffers would lose £70million a year from scrapping the extension, a figure it now appears to concede is exaggerated.

And there were decent reasons for keeping it. Traffic in the area is down, albeit by rather less than expected. Local opposition has fallen; many residents enjoy being able to drive around the area and into the West End on their 90 per cent discount. Having run a fierce "No C in K&C" campaign initially, the local Tory council now appears neutral. But nearby Tory boroughs, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Westminster, were furious, and often jammed, as traffic which had gone into the western extension came to them instead. Hammersmith and Fulham called the charge boundary a "Berlin wall" separating their community from vital services, including the hospital. London's Tory assembly members signed a letter asking Boris to scrap the extension.

Now, he will do so, though 2010 may be too late for some local businesses. Interim measures may be required. Even so, it does mark a very clear political divide. In the week that a Labour chancellor raised taxes on those earning over £40,000, the Tories' highest officeholder got rid of a tax.